Railway cross-tie and clamp.



No. 767,878. I 'PATENTBD AUG. 16, 1904.

E. FLORA. RAILWAY CROSS TIE AND CLAMP.

APPLIOATIOH FILED APB.13, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

I I Z l: 0

Patented August 16, 1904.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EARNEST FLORA, OF EDDYVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES IN. DORMAN, OF EDDYVILLE, KENTUCKY.

RAILWAY CROSS-TIE AND CLAMP.

ESPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,878, dated August 16, 1904. Application filed April 13, 1904. Serial Nu. 202,959. No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

ville, in the county of Lyon and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a Railway Cross-Tie and Clamp; of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved construction of railway cross-tie and clamp, the object being to provide an exceedingly strong and durable construction of metallic railway-tie and a simple and efiicient form of rail -clamp adapted to be used in connection with the said rail-tie.

Another object of the invention is to provide'a clamp which will securely hold the rail to the tie and completely avoid the use of spikes now commonly employed for the purpose of securing the rails to the ties.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the novel features of construction,

combination, and arrangement, all of which will be fully described, andpointed out-in the claims.

. In the drawings forming a partof this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the practical applicationof my invention. Fig. 2 is a view showing the base and top sections of the cross-tie. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the tie and clamp complete. Fig. I is a transverse section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the clamp members.

In carrying out my invention I employ a metal base plate A, preferably made of wrought-iron and having a stop-shoulderA at one end. Parallel guide-pieces A are arranged upon the opposite sides of the baseplate at the opposite ends, the opposing faces of said guides being undercut, as shown at A thereby providing a dovetailed recess be tween the guide members.

B indicates the upper section of the crosstie, and which is preferably made of steel. This upper section is cut away upon the opposite sides at the opposite ends, as shown at B, thereby providing dovetailed portions B which are adapted to engage the undercut guide members A and whereby the upper and lower sections are securely locked together 5 when the upper section is slid into the lower or base section, as most clearly shown in Figs.

1, 3, and 4'. The movement of the upper section is limited by the stop-shoulder A. The central portion of the upper section B is reduced, as shown at B thereby saving metal andimparting a certain amount of elasticity to the upper section. The rails O rest upon the upper sections B, and in order to securely fasten the rails to the said upper section I employ clamps D, the heads D of which overlap the base-flanges of the rails, while the shanks D enter openings E, produced in the bar B adjacent the opposite ends, laterally-projecting shoulders D formed at the juncture 5 of the head and shank, resting transversely across the opening E and upon the upper faces of the bar B. The lowerend of the shank is also provided with laterally-projecting foot-pieces D", which engage the inwardly projecting 7 shoulders E, formed at the bottom openings E, said openings E being of a length to permit the lower end of the shanlgwith the feet D*, to be inserted longitudinally and then turned transversely, so as to bring the head D, shoulders D and feet D into the positions shown in Fig. 4E, and for the purpose of looking the clamps in this position I employ the wedge-blocks F, which are driven down into the openingE between the end of said opening and the shank of the clamp, as most clearly shown in Fig. 3.

Owing to the construction of the clamp, it will be impossible for it to move upwardly, and consequently there will be no excessive 5 strain upon the wedge-blocks, and their only function will be to hold the clamps into their pr iper positions for clamping the base of the rar A combination cross-tie and rail-clamp con- 9 structed as herein shown and described will securely hold the rail in its exact position, and there is no danger whatever of the said rail Working loose upon the cross-tie, and said cross-tie being made of metal it will last an indefinite time. However, whenever it is desired to remove the rail and replace it with another one it can be quickly and easily accom plished b y withdrawing the wed ge-blocks, sliding back the clamping members, and removing the rail. The new rail is then set in place, the clamp member moved up, and the wedge inserted.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A railway cross-tie comprising the base member having the undercut guides at the opposite sides adjacent the ends, and the top 1 section having the dovetailed portions at the ends adapted to it the undercut guides as set forth.

2. A railway cross-tie comprising a base having the undercut guides of the sides and a stop-shoulder at one end, and the top member having dovetailed portions upon the lower side at the opposite ends and adapted to engage undercut guides of the base-section as set forth.

3. A device of the kind described comprising in combination the base-section having the undercut guides and the stop-shoulder, the top section having dovetailed portions upon the lower side at the ends and adapted to engage the undercut guides, and means carried by the top section for clamping the sections as set 

